1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to landscaping equipment including mowers and light duty front end loaders, etc., but more particularly to those machines having the capability to accept a variety of removable tool attachments or implements which enable the user to configure the equipment for a particular purposes.
The machine(s) that comprise the field of the invention consist have two basic components. The first component is a motorized vehicle and the second is the useful implement which is attached to the motorized vehicle (hereinafter simply referred to as a tool or tool attachment) making the basic motorized machine more useful and specially suited for a particular purpose, e.g., for mowing grass.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the landscaping industry as well as the nursery industry light duty equipment is preferred because of the low ground pressure of the tires or tracks which move the machinery or equipment. Light duty equipment is known to be less destructive on the lawn or sod on which it is operated. Further, such light duty equipment is believed to be more maneuverable and less expensive as compared to large heavy duty equipment thereby making the light duty machines more desirable.
For example, in many residential settings, a light duty front end loader such as a BOBCAT or MUSTANG has rubber tracks is deemed to be far more beneficial than a heavy steel tracked track loader or dozer, and a front deck mower is believed to be more useful than a mid or rear deck mower. However, even these light duty tracked vehicles are know to readily damage sod and turf due primarily to the ability of the machine to move the tracks independently which causes a ripping or tearing of the lawn sod between the tracks when the tracks are moved in opposite directions. Thus in many instances such vehicles are equipped with rubber tires which are preferred over tracks.
Front or rear deck mowers are also preferred over heavy farm tractors equipped with rotary cutter mowing decks because of their ability to mow quickly and effectively, turn in confined areas and leave little trace of visible damage to the lawn being mowed. Therefore, in many landscaping situations a front deck mower with its tight turning radius and low ground pressure from fat inflatable tires would be particularly useful if a variety of job specific implements or attachments were available for such a machine.
Until now, tool attachments such as a tree carrier or removable bucket for a front deck mower or a small front end loader (e.g., tree carrier embodiment) having rubber tires as the means for movement have not been invented.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide the motorized vehicle portion of a front deck mower or a rubber tire driven front end loader with a tool attachment suited for uses other than mowing operations. Such attachments might include a removable bucket configured much like a front end loader scoop, and tree carrying tongs, etc.
The present invention comprises preferably a front deck mower with the mowing deck removed. Several companies manufacture and sell front deck mowers, and virtually all of them allow the mowing deck to be easily removed for servicing and maintenance. The particular brand of front deck mower is not critical so long as the tool attachment of the present invention is properly configured for cooperative engagement with the motorized vehicle portion.
The front mowing deck attaches to the base motorized vehicle (hereinafter the xe2x80x9cmotorized portionxe2x80x9d) by a series of frame supports and pin attachments, as well as a plurality of linkages for the blades and to raise and lower the cutting height of the deck. The frame structure of the motorized portion is thus capable of receiving a cooperatively configured attachment assembly of the mower deck. It is this cooperatively configured attachment assembly that is incorporated into the inventive attachments disclosed herein as well as other attachments not specifically shown herein.
The preferred invention is a combination of a motorized vehicle portion of a front deck mower machine or a tire driven front end loader and a removable front end loader type bucket or scoop (hereinafter referred to as the scoop embodiment) or a removable tree carrying bucket (hereinafter referred to as the tree carrier embodiment) in combination therewith, and a support frame interpositioned between the attachment and the motorized portion of the machine.
The support frame is equipped with the necessary cooperating structure useful for attaching the frame to the motorized portion and enable the user to manipulate the attachment during use. In addition, a control assembly, preferably of the hydraulic or pneumatic variety is also provided so the scoop embodiment can be raised and lowered and placed in the lift or dump positions, and the tree carrier embodiment is raised or lowed and placed in the carrying (closed) or setting (open) position.
The preferred frame further comprises a pair of spaced apart side frame members and a pair of cylinders adjacent the side frame members to enable the attachment to be moved and manipulated by the user of the apparatus.
The preferred embodiment(s) of the invention may be summarized in a variety of ways, one of which is the following: combination of a motorized vehicle portion of a front deck mower and a tool attachment comprising a frame having a pair of spaced apart side frame portions and a portion of a cooperating attachment structure configured for attachment to another portion of the cooperating attachment structure wherein this other portion of the cooperating attachment structure is associated with the motorized vehicle portion of the front deck mower; a tool attachment attached to the frame; and cylinder means for actuating the tool attachment during use.
The preferred cylinder means is operably attached to the frame and the tool attachment, the motorized vehicle portion of the front deck mower and the tool attachment, or the motorized vehicle portion of the front deck mower and the frame, and further preferably comprises a pair of spaced apart cylinders positioned adjacent each of the side frame portions.
The cylinder means also preferably further comprises pressurized fluid means for actuating the cylinder means, a pair of spaced apart cylinders positioned adjacent each of the side frame portions, and pressurized fluid means for actuating the cylinders, and at least one fluid pump and at least one control lever to regulate the flow of the associated pressurized fluid. The preferred pressurized fluid means is a pressurized hydraulic fluid means.
The present invention may also be summarized as follows: a motorized vehicle portion of a front deck mower and a tool attachment comprising a motorized vehicle portion of a front deck mower; a frame having a pair of spaced apart side frame portions; cooperating attachment means for attaching the frame to existing structure associated with the motorized vehicle wherein a first portion of the cooperating attachment structure is associated with the motorized vehicle and the a second portion of the cooperating attachment structure is associated with the frame and the first and second portions of the cooperating attachment structure engage one another for attachment of the frame to the motorized vehicle; and a pressurized fluid actuated tool attachment operably supported by and removable from the frame.
The preferred cylinder means is operably attached to the frame and the tool attachment and preferably further comprises a pair of spaced apart pressurized fluid cylinders. The pair of spaced apart pressurized fluid cylinders are preferably attached to a pair of side frame portions and the tool attachment.
The preferred tool attachments are a tree carrying device (the xe2x80x9ctree carrierxe2x80x9d) having separable halves which articulate between an open and a closed position, or the attachment may be a bucket having hanger structure configured to operably engage the frame for secure attachment thereto during use. Th hanger structure further includes pin means for securing the bucket to the frame, and the pressurized fluid actuated tool attachment is preferably a hydraulic tool attachment. In either embodiment the hanger structure is merely provided as virtually any suitable means of operable attachment.